pound the table

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pound, the, table.

“There's an old legal aphorism that goes, "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table."”

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Meanings

verbpound the table (third-person singular simple present pounds the table, present participle pounding the table, simple past and past participle pounded the table)

present singular third person pounds the table · participle present pounding the table · participle past pounded the table · past pounded the table

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pound, the, table.
  2. figurativelyTo vehemently assert one's position.
  3. figurativelylawTo base an argument on bluster or rhetoric when unsupported by more substantive elements.

    There's an old legal aphorism that goes, "If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither on your side, pound the table."

  4. businessTo promote one's products.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
put one's foot down

Translations

Finnish lyödä nyrkkiä pöytään
  • lyödä nyrkkiä pöytäänto vehemently assert one's position
French taper du poing sur la table
  • taper du poing sur la tableto vehemently assert one's position
Italian farsi valere
  • farsi valereto vehemently assert one's position
Polish uderzać pięścią w stół, uderzyć pięścią w stół
  • uderzać pięścią w stółto vehemently assert one's position
  • uderzyć pięścią w stółto vehemently assert one's position
  • promowaćto promote one's products
  • wypromowaćto promote one's products
Russian стуча́ть кулако́м по столу́
  • стуча́ть кулако́м по столу́ (stučátʹ kulakóm po stolú)to vehemently assert one's position
Spanish golpear la mesa
  • golpear la mesato vehemently assert one's position
Swedish sätta ner foten, sätte ned foten
  • sätta ner fotento vehemently assert one's position
  • sätte ned fotento vehemently assert one's position
Cite this entry
APA

pound the table. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound%20the%20table

MLA

“pound the table.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound%20the%20table. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pound the table,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pound%20the%20table.

Source: pound the table on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.